


let's set things right

by biittersweets



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Era, Everyone Loves Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine Being Gwaine (Merlin), M/M, Slow Burn, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:07:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25204468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biittersweets/pseuds/biittersweets
Summary: Merlin can't physically deal with the pain of losing Arthur, so he pleads with the Triple Goddess to let him live. He's ready to give up anything and everything for his king, but the Goddess takes pity on him and gives him and Arthur a second chance to set things right.But not without clearing the air between them first.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	let's set things right

"Thank you." The words left Arthur's lips with a final exhale just as the life faded from his eyes. His body went limp in Merlin's arms, growing colder and colder each passing second.

Merlin cried out in agony, in pain, in grief. His cries stretched over the lake, the sound so sorrowful that the nearby creatures, deer and birds fled in pain.

A great tremour overtook him, his body wracking with an onslaught of choked sobs and tears. His throat tighetened as he struggled to breath, clutching onto Arthur's lifeless body as though it was his life force. Hot torrents of grief streamed odwn his face, evidently staining them with their despair. It was worse than any pain the warlock had experienced, digging deep into his heart and his very soul, engraving his regrets and mistakes with his grief.

No, this wasn't how it ended, surely. Surely Arthur would cough up some ridiculous insult about him being a girl's petticoat and blabber about how no man is worth his tears any moment now, and he would've worried for nothing.

Deep down, Merlin knew that would never happen, that the insult he was waiting for would never leave his king's lips. There would be no bright smile accompanying them, either, and he would be forced to spend the rest of his life drowned in his own misery and regret.

He bent forward and leaned his forehead against his king's, choking back a sob as he closed Arthur's eyes, his own following soon after.

' _Please_ ,' he pleaded, his tone so pathetically desperate. ' _Fair Goddess, have mercy on my king. If there is anyone worthy of your pity, my lady, it is him. I am ready to trade any price, any price. I swear on my magic. Just please, please. Let him live, let him live for me._ ' 

For a moment, nothing happened. No deep intake from Arthur, no change in the wind. Absolutely nothing and Merlin's final hopes were being shattered. 

Then, a bright light engulfed the pair, whisking them away to whatever space the Goddess would grant an audience with him. 

They reappeared in a space where there was nothing but a deep calypso surrounding them. There seemed to be no end or no beginning to the colour, not even a visible floor. Was this the Goddess' dimension?

Merlin straightened up, letting Arthur's head rest easily in his lap. 

A similar bright light startled the warlock out of his wits as he quickly rose his arm to shield himself from the godly light. In front of him, three figures materialised. A beautiful, young woman dressed in the finest white robes wore a charming smile on her face. Next to her, was a tall, motherly woman who wore a deep crimson dress and held her head up high. The final one, on the right, was a cranky old lady draped in dark, worn clothes and leaned on a peculiarly entrancing staff. 

Merlin gathered himself and wiped the tears from his eyes, sniffling terribly. 

"My ladies." He greeted with a hoarse voice, letting his pain and grief bleed out in his words. 

"Merlin." They all greeted in sync. "We have come, per your request."

"What makes you think we'll let your sorry king live, after persecuting those with magic and denying the Old Religion? He has done us much harm, surely you understand that? Living in fear of being prosecuted because you are magic." The one of the right spoke in an adenoidal tone. She must be the Crone.

"Please, give him another chance to prove himself. He was brought up with the belief that those with magic were evil, corrupt. It wasn't his fault, my lady, to have carried out this belief. He was deprived of the fatherly love he should've had more of and only pursued these beliefs to earn his father's love, he didn't know any better. He had tried to make amends, one being with the druid spirit. But he didn't actively right these wrongs because he had no deeper understanding of it, and I am partly to blame for that." Merlin said, his eyes drooping downwards in shame.

The Crone mulled this over and the lady on the left, who was presumably the Maiden, approached him. She cupped his face in her hands and stared into his eyes, as if searching for some validation.

"Can you not see? This boy has the most upmost faith in his king, that goes beyond any obligation from the prophecy or his destiny. He truly believes this King is righteous and that he will be able to right his wrongs, however possible. Do not tell me, sister, that you have not favoured this pair throughout their journey, despite the king's actions and his servant's mistakes. Did you not see the king's final days, his struggle to accept his servant's talents yet found it in his heart to forgive his lies?" Her voice was pleasant to listen to, kindness coating her words.

The Crone's expression softened and the Maiden stepped back, a triumphant smile gracing her face. 

"So have we come to a conclusion, ladies? We will set forward our plan?" The Mother spoke neutrally, straightening her posture.

"Yes, Mother." 

"Good." Mother said. "We will give you both a chance to right your wrongs, letting your King live. He will live on the condition that he right his wrongs and you will right yours, uniting Albion and bringing about the golden age of peace, letting magic back into the land. Are you satisfied with this?"

"Yes." Merlin decided immediately. There was no doubt Arthur would make the right decisions, but what exactly did that entail? How were they supposed to right their wrongs if they were already in the past? They couldn't resurrect the dead by any means, it's not like the Goddess would let them anyway.

"This will not be easy with your current relationship, however, and there are still many things left unsaid between you two. You will not be able to right your wrongs with lies and distrust still clouding your focus and judgement." 

Merlin furrowed his eyebrows while the Mother approached Arthur, placing a gentle hand on his forehead. He glowed a warm gold and drew in a sharp breath. The warlock's breath caught as his heart jumped for joy, the pain in his chest easing significantly. 

"You will be able to leave our space when you have cleared the air between you. I trust you will tell the truth, and only the truth when he wakes? Make sure he does the same to you, otherwise you will not leave this place for a long time." 

"Yes, my lady. Thank you so much, we are in your debt. I swear we will right our wrongs however possible."

The Mother stepped back with a satisfied smile. All three women glimmered in a bright light and disappeared, leaving behind a sobbing Merlin and a newly resurrected Arthur in his lap.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for clicking on this story and i hope you enjoy it :D  
> also for those who don't know calypso is a blue-greenish kind of colour, it's the best shade for what i'm imagining lol


End file.
